Tuesday was another day of 90+ degree weather, and we decided to head out to the water to catch a cool breeze and a view of the Statue of Liberty. Everyone knows the statue is made of copper but amazingly, it is only the thickness of 2 pennies. It was wonderful to get off the boat, see her up close and from all angles.
France presented the statue on July 4, 1885, as a gift from the French people to the American people. Eiffel (of the Eiffel Tower) was the project engineer. She stands 302 feet tall, and greets you at harbor entrance. Broken shackles at Liberty's feet signify escape from tyranny; the torch symbolizes truth and justice illuminating the world; the spikes of her crown denote the 7 seas and 7 continents; and the tablet bears the date of the Declaration of Independence: July 4, 1776.
Regrettably, security has been tightened since 9/11, and we noticed this fact. After 9/11 the stairs that go up in the torch were closed. It is now open, but only 300 people per day can have access. Torch tours are sold out till October. We had to go thru airport security to get on the boat, then when we got off the boat, we saw 2 officers in swat gear (machine guns) watching the crowd.
